Decisions
by blk0912
Summary: Rachel goes to New York to visit schools and to take a test-drive of the life she thinks she wants. What happens when things don't go the way she wants them to? When she encounters a boy from her past?


**A/N: After watching what could have been an awesome episode of Glee that was destroyed by the ever-present Finchel drama, I wanted to do something to try and "fix" that, as I have with the last couple of episodes. I know this is long, but please bear with me. As usual, Klaine has a part in this story as well. Also, Rachel and Shelby have more of a mother-daughter relationship in this story and apparently Rachel's dads' names are now Hiram and LeRoy instead of Hiram and Leroy (pronounced like lee-roy). Why I have no idea, but in my stories they will always be Hiram and Leroy. **

**As I'm sure you're all aware, NYADA is a fake school made up by RIB...but it actually sort of exists. As two different schools. NYCADA-New York Conservatory of Dramatic Arts and AADA-American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Since NYCADA is so close to NYADA, for my story's sake we're going to pretend that NYCDA is NYADA since I mention AADA as well. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee and I don't own _Wicked_. If I did, St. Berry would be cannon and they would have found a way to sing _As Long As You're Mine_ together. St. Berry duets are magical, as are Hummelberry ones :)**

* * *

><p>"Okay, well thank you for calling to let us know. We'll be in touch," Hiram said before ending his phone call with Burt Hummel.<p>

"What's going on?" Leroy asked as he walked into the room.

Hiram sighed and then said, "That was Burt Hummel. Apparently Finn and Rachel are engaged. Leroy, we can't let her go through with this."

Leroy set down the briefcase he had been holding before he spoke, "Reverse psychology never worked well on our darling daughter, so I say we give them a taste of what it's like to be married."

"What are you suggesting exactly?"

"She'll only shut us out if we don't at least support her decision. While we may not agree with it, we did teach her to make her own decisions, as well as her own mistakes. If Finn does indeed go to New York, not only will they have to learn how to live with one another, but Finn needs to figure out what exactly it is he's going to do there-especially if he puts off school. Rachel's going to be meeting new people, she's going to making new friends, and she may even encounter a certain curly-haired boy she once claimed to love. One I think she still does love, but that's beside the point."

"So we….what? Send them to New York?" Hiram asked, still confused.

"Exactly," Leroy replied as he took out his cell phone

"Who are you calling?"

"Mona and Derek have a place in New York. They're going on vacation for two weeks starting tomorrow. I'm sure they'd be willing to help us out. Rachel wanted to visit a few campuses while she's out there. I have no idea where she got the idea that only applying to one school was a good idea, but I convinced her to apply to Julliard, Tisch, and AADA as well as NYADA. She will be going to each and every one of those schools. Without Finn by her side."

"I thought you liked Finn."

"I do. He's a nice enough boy, but he's not the one for Rachel. She's going to need someone who understands on every single level not only what she's going through but why she's reacting the way she is."

Hiram was silent for a minute as he took in what his husband was telling him. There had been a boy whose dreams had been so similar to Rachel's, who had understood her in a way that even he and Leroy couldn't. If he could pick one boy for his daughter, that boy would, without a doubt, be Jesse St. James. Suddenly, his husband's words made a lot more sense.

"Jesse," He said, no other words needed.

"Exactly," Leroy agreed, "He's on my list of people to call as well. He's going to be showing Rachel around Tisch. Her first stop on her tour of colleges."

"We're going to let her go alone?"

"No. We'll go, but we'll be staying at a hotel, where as Rachel and Finn will be staying at Mona and Derek's."

"What if this backfires?"

"It won't," Leroy assured his husband.

Hiram eyed his husband skeptically before he sighed and said, "Fine. I'll take your word for it. You call Jesse; I'll call Mona and Derek. How is it you still have Jesse's number anyway? I thought Rachel deleted it?"

"She deleted the contact, but not my call history. I simply saved his number again and Rachel hasn't looked at my phone since."

"Now I know where Rachel got her scheming ideas from. She's going to kill us, you know," Hiram said with a shake of his head as he took out his own cell phone and began to dial Mona and Derek's home number.

"She's going to _thank_ us when this is all over," Leroy corrected.

Hiram simply nodded in an 'uh-huh, sure' way before lifting the phone to his ear. Leroy chuckled and then went into the den to make his own phone call.

* * *

><p>Jesse was just about to get up from the spot he'd been sitting in for the past few hours while he worked to complete all of his assignments when he saw Leroy Berry's name flash across the caller ID screen on his phone. Curious as to why Rachel's dad would be calling him, especially so early in the afternoon, Jesse quickly answered.<p>

"Hello, Leroy."

"Jesse. I'm glad I got a hold of you. I need a favor."

"What's the favor?"

"Well, first, are you alone and are you sitting down?"

"Yes to both, but why? What's going on?"

Jesse could hear Leroy take a deep breath before he spoke again, "Finn proposed to Rachel."

"He _what?_" Jesse asked, both surprised and disbelieving.

"He proposed. Rachel said yes. Why I'm still trying to figure out, but the fact of the matter is she feels this is a good idea. Hiram and I, as well as Burt and Carole, on the other hand do not."

"What am I supposed to do? She's clearly favored Finn since the beginning. I've stopped trying to figure out why, when he's clearly the inferior choice."

"Yes, well, I've come up with an idea."

Jesse listened attentively as Leroy outlined his plan. He'd always sort of wondered where Rachel had learned to scheme so well and now he had his answer. Clearly she'd been observing Leroy all her life, and had probably even assisted in a few of his schemes herself. Just as Rachel had always been able to convince him of pretty much anything, Jesse found himself agreeing to help Leroy. If it meant getting Rachel back, he'd do whatever it took. He couldn't help but smile a little when he heard that Kurt and Blaine would be put in the same living situation as Rachel and Finn. Rachel wouldn't be able to help but compare her situation to that of Kurt and Blaine, and Jesse had no doubt that their week would go a lot smoother than that of Finn and Rachel.

"I'll do it. I'll see you all on Monday at 10am," Jesse said as Leroy finished outlining his plan.

"Great. Thank you, Jesse."

"I do have one more question, though."

"What is it, son?"

"If it were Rachel and I that were engaged…would you be trying to stop it?"

Leroy was silent for a moment as he thought about his answer. Rachel and Jesse had always had a connection like he'd only seen a handful of times. To try and separate Rachel from her soul mate would only result in the shadow of a person his daughter seemed to now be.

"No. I can't answer for Hiram, but I wouldn't try to stop you two from getting married. You wouldn't propose because you felt you needed to tie yourself to Rachel in order to accomplish anything, you would propose because you love Rachel and you think the two of you are ready for that stage of your relationship."

"Good to know. I'll see you Monday," Jesse said before he hung up with Rachel's dad.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Sunday afternoon…<strong>_

"Dad, Daddy, why are we stopping here?" Rachel asked as she looked up at the tall apartment building in front of her

"You remember Mona and Derek, right?" Hiram started

"Yes…" Rachel answered, still clearly confused.

"They not only live in this building, but they own it. They are letting you and Finn, as well as Kurt and Blaine, stay here for week. You will each have a one bedroom, one bathroom apartment, already equipped with everything you'll need for the week. They were kind enough to leave you all money so that you can buy whatever food you want. You, Kurt, and Blaine will be touring Tisch, NYADA, AADA, and Julliard this week. Tisch is first, tomorrow at 10am. We'll meet you here at 8am so we can get an early start." Leroy finished

"Where are you and Daddy staying? What about Burt and Carole?"

"We'll all be staying at the hotel. You're allowed to visit, of course, but you can't stay with us. If you two are serious about wanting to get married, then you need to learn to live with each other," Hiram answered

Rachel nodded somewhat hesitantly. She grabbed the bags she had brought with her and followed her fathers into the building, her fiancé and best friends behind her.

Later that night, after going out to lunch with their parents, Finn and Rachel, as well as Kurt and Blaine, were settling into their respective apartments. To say that Kurt and Blaine's time was going a lot smoother than Finn and Rachel's was an understatement.

"So I think we should make a list before we go. That way we won't have to go down every aisle and we can avoid buying things we don't need," Rachel said as she took out a pen and some paper.

"Why can't we just go? I want to get back here so I can finally relax."

"We need to make a list, Finn! It's how my dads do it!" Rachel exclaimed

"My mom doesn't make lists and we do just fine," Finn countered

"Fine," Rachel said as she grabbed the money off the counter and shoved it into her purse, "Let's just go."

"I don't see what the big deal is. It's just food."

Rachel was silent, knowing that if she were to say anything else right now, she'd only cause more problems. She was the problem-solver in the relationship, the one who always compromised. Her thoughts drifted to a past relationship, one where she didn't have to always explain everything she did.

_I never had to explain things to Jesse. He just understood. _

Finn's voice broke Rachel's thoughts, "Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yes," Rachel answered, shaking her head as though doing so would erase her previous thoughts.

Unfortunately, the trip to the grocery store was not as uneventful as Rachel would have liked. They ran into Kurt and Blaine, and while they hadn't made a list either, they didn't seem to be having any trouble agreeing on what to buy. Once again, Rachel ended up only getting some of the things she wanted to. If he wanted something, Finn would just bug her about it until she gave in.

_Just like the date in New York last year. Jesse left me alone, just like I asked._

Rachel shook her head again, willing herself to once again stop thinking about her ex-boyfriend. She was with Finn now and that was that.

_Or is it?_

Rachel looked down at her left hand. It was a simple, but pretty ring. Not something she herself would have picked out, but then again Finn often did things without consulting her. With a sigh, she quickly picked up the pace she was walking so that she could catch up with Finn.

After returning to the apartment and not only cooking dinner but cleaning up afterwards as well, Rachel was about to head into the bathroom for her nightly routine when she heard Finn's voice.

"Are you going to use the bathroom first?"

"Yes," Rachel answered as she turned to face Finn, "I have a special nightly routine that I need to do. It takes a while."

"That's fine, go ahead. I'll see you in a little bit."

_When I told Jesse about the routine, he'd admitted to one of his own. He'd even suggested we come up with one we could do together that incorporated everything we both had in our individual ones._

Shaking her head once again, Rachel made her way into the bathroom to begin her very thorough nightly routine. She had just walked into the bedroom to pick out a pair of pajamas to wear when she saw Finn heading towards the bathroom.

"Finn, what are you doing?" Rachel asked.

"It was a big dinner," Finn answered simply.

"You can't do that _here_."

"Where am I supposed to do it?"

"Your house?" Rachel suggested, already growing tired of the constant arguing they'd done that day.

"My house is in _Lima_, we are in _New York_."

"Finn, no!" Rachel exclaimed as she saw Finn grab a magazine and head into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

* * *

><p>"You can use it now," Finn said a little while later, all too cheerfully for Rachel's liking<p>

"Thanks," Rachel answered, annoyed.

"I'm not allowed to use the bathroom here? It's supposed to be _our_ bathroom, Rachel."

"I know that, Finn! I wasn't finished!"

"When am I supposed to use it then?"

"When I'm not!"

"You weren't even _in_ there!"

"You could have at least _asked_!"

"Asked what?"

"If I was finished! It's called common courtesy, Finn!"

"I had to go!"

"Maybe this whole thing is a bad idea. You can sleep on the couch tonight!" Rachel nearly screamed as she slammed the door in Finn's face, locking it behind her.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Rachel wasn't able to finish her morning routine either. Finn had interrupted her once again. She'd only gotten to run a brush through her hair once, when it was still wet. She was tempted to just pull her hair back, but she knew that a ponytail wasn't the best look on her and it wouldn't go with the outfit she was wearing. With a sigh, she quickly applied her make-up and made her way downstairs to meet her fathers, all without saying another word to Finn.<p>

"How was your first night?" Kurt asked as she approached the bench he and Blaine were sitting on outside of the building.

"Don't ask," Rachel said, taking a seat next to Kurt.

Kurt exchanged a knowing look with Blaine before he hugged his best friend and said, "Well today's a new day. Maybe things will get better."

"I want a latte. _That_ would make my day better," Rachel answered, crossing both her arms and her legs.

When her fathers arrived a few minutes later, Rachel wanted to beg them to let her stay with them, she wasn't sure she could survive another day of the hell she'd been through the night before, let alone another _six_ days.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Hiram asked, already able to tell Rachel was irritated by the way she was sitting.

"I'm fine, let's go," Rachel answered as she stood up and walked over to her fathers to hug them.

Leroy exchanged a look with his husband over their daughter's head. Hiram simply nodded and then wrapped an arm around Rachel, leading her towards the subway.

* * *

><p>"Wow. This place is even better in person," Kurt said as he, Blaine, Rachel, Hiram, and Leroy made their way onto the Tisch campus.<p>

"It's gorgeous," Rachel agreed, feeling her mood change already.

"Look, Rachel, there's a coffee house inside that building over there, maybe they'll make you that latte you want so badly," Kurt teased.

Rachel looked up at her fathers and was about to ask if they could go check it out when she heard a familiar voice; the voice of the boy who had been involuntarily invading her thoughts in the last 24 hours. Rachel whirled and found herself face to face with one Jesse St. James.

"Soy Vanilla Latte, just the way you like it," Jesse said, holding the cup out to Rachel.

"Jesse," Rachel whispered, suddenly at a loss for words

"You do still like them, right?" Jesse asked.

Rachel nodded as she took the cup from Jesse, her fingers brushing his as she did so. The jolt she felt when they touched only slightly surprised her. When she noticed that he had not only brought coffee for the rest of the group, but had gotten each person's favorite correct, she had to hide her smile behind her cup.

"I didn't know you went to Tisch, Jesse," Blaine said as they began to walk.

"I just started here this past fall. I transferred from UCLA. There's no place quite like New York," Jesse answered.

"Did you consider any other schools before you decided on Tisch?" Hiram asked.

"I did. I had visited them all during my senior year, but I decided to re-visit them to see if I still felt the same. I looked at NYADA, AADA, even Julliard. I knew I could be happy at any of them, but Tisch was always my first choice. When I got my acceptance letter, I was thrilled. I started looking at apartments out here and found a nice two bedroom apartment not far from here,"

"How many bathrooms?" Kurt asked, earning an elbow in the ribs from Rachel.

"Two…" Jesse answered, clearly confused.

"Finn and Rachel had a little…disagreement….about the bathroom usage in their place last night," Kurt supplied, earning another elbow in the ribs from Rachel.

Jesse didn't say anything, just raised an eyebrow at Rachel, who sighed and then said, "I don't know why this is relevant, but Finn…interfered…with not only my nightly routine but my morning one too."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Rach."

Kurt smirked at Rachel when Jesse used her nickname, earning him a warning look in return.

"Anyway," Leroy said, trying to get the conversation back on topic, "Where are we going first?"

"The auditorium, of course. It's where you spend a good portion of your time if you're talented enough to get into a student production," Jesse answered, leading the group towards a large building at the end of the pathway.

"There's not a production going on now?" Rachel asked, unconsciously quickening her pace to walk beside Jesse.

"There is, but they won't be using the auditorium until later," Jesse answered.

"How do you know that?"

"I'm in it."

Rachel was silent after that but didn't move from her spot beside Jesse. When he held the door open for them, she suddenly got a flashback of him doing the same thing for her many times before.

"Rach?" Jesse asked, waving a hand in front of her face.

Rachel shook her head, realizing that her friends and her fathers were already inside the building and they were all just waiting for her.

"Sorry," Rachel said as she shook her head and moved passed Jesse to walk into the building, aware that he wasn't far behind her.

"Are you okay?" Jesse asked so softly that only she could hear him.

"I'm fine, just tired," Rachel assured him before she walked over to where the others were standing.

"Do you want to sing something?" Jesse asked the group after he finished answering their current questions.

"Can we?" Blaine asked, causing Jesse to chuckle.

"Sure. Knock yourselves out, just don't break anything," Jesse answered, taking a seat in one of the chairs, Hiram and Leroy following his lead by taking two seats in front of him.

"Come on, Rachel!" Kurt said excitedly, practically pulling her and Blaine onto the stage.

"Shouldn't it be _Rachel_ pulling Kurt and Blaine onto the stage?" Jesse whispered, leaning forward.

"It should be, but it isn't," Leroy agreed.

"Her mood seems to be improving. She looked so _angry_ this morning," Hiram added.

Jesse nodded and then leaned back in his chair to watch the three teenagers on the stage, his eyes hardly ever leaving Rachel. He had to smile when he saw Blaine sit down at the piano and play the beginning notes of _As Long As You're Mine_.

"You can sing Elphaba's parts," Kurt said to Rachel.

"Jesse can sing Fiyero's parts." Blaine added, causing Rachel to lift fearful eyes to his.

"What do you say, Rach?" Jesse asked as he approached the stage, "We haven't sung together for a while. For old time's sake?"

"You and Jesse have proven harmonies," Kurt insisted, causing Rachel to scowl at him as she recognized the words she'd said to Quinn the previous year.

"Elphaba is on my list of dream roles, so I might as well practice," Rachel conceded.

"Perfect!" Blaine said cheerfully as he began to play the opening notes once again.

Never one to miss her cue, Rachel took a deep breath before she began to sing.

_Kiss me too fiercely  
>Hold me too tight<br>I need help believing  
>You're with me tonight<br>My wildest dreamings  
>Could not foresee<br>Lying beside you  
>With you wanting me<em>

_And just for this moment  
>As long as you're mine<br>I've lost all resistance  
>And crossed some borderline<br>And if it turns out  
>It's over too fast<br>I'll make ev'ry last moment last  
>As long as you're mine<em>

Leroy and Hiram both grinned as they watched their daughter in her element, doing what she was meant to do. Kurt was sitting beside Blaine at the piano, watching as Rachel sang her heart out. They were all aware of the way that Rachel couldn't seem to take her eyes off of Jesse the whole time, even more so once he took his own cue and began to sing his part.

_Maybe I'm brainless  
>Maybe I'm wise<br>But you've got me seeing  
>Through different eyes<br>Somehow I've fallen  
>Under your spell<br>And somehow I'm feeling  
>It's "up" that I fell<em>

When Rachel joined her voice with Jesse's, no one could deny that it was magical, as if they had been meant to sing together.

_And though I may know  
>I don't care!<br>Just for this moment  
>As long as you're mine<br>Come be how you want to  
>And see how bright we shine<br>Borrow the moonlight  
>Until it is through<br>And know I'll be here holding you  
>As long as you're mine<em>

After they finished, both Rachel and Jesse seemed frozen in place, as if they were afraid that if they moved, the world they had created with the combination of the song and their voices would shatter. Watching this, Hiram grabbed his husband's hand while Kurt grabbed Blaine's. Sometime during the song, Jesse had taken Rachel's hand in his as well. The spell was broken, and Rachel tugged her hand away from Jesse's, as the door to the auditorium opened and the woman who looked like an older version of Rachel walked in.

"Sorry I'm late, my flight got in late," Shelby said as she walked towards the stage, "Clearly I interrupted something."

"You missed a fabulous duet by Rachel and Jesse," Kurt supplied.

"I heard the ending. You two really do complement each other in every way," Shelby said with a smile

"Mom? What are you doing here?" Rachel asked as she walked towards her mother.

"Your dads called me. They said that you were touring a bunch of schools this week and since I am a former show choir director, they wanted my input. I was supposed to get in last night, but they over-booked the flight and I was one of the unlucky ones who got bumped back to the next flight," Shelby answered as she hugged her daughter.

"Hello, Shelby," Jesse greeted from his spot beside the piano.

"Hello again, Jesse. Thank you for not mentioning my tardiness to Rachel."

"You knew she'd be here?" Rachel asked Jesse.

"Of course I did. They give us the names of the people that will be along on the private tour beforehand," Jesse answered.

"Why don't you go ahead and show us the next spot on the tour, Jesse?" Hiram suggested before anyone could say anything else.

"Sure. Up next is the main building that your musical theater classes will be in," Jesse began as he made his way off of the stage, followed closely by the rest of the group.

* * *

><p>"Thank you for showing us around. We really appreciate it," Leroy said to Jesse as they ended the tour.<p>

"No problem, glad I could help. It was nice to be able to see some familiar faces again."

"Where did the others go?" Hiram asked, suddenly noticing the other four people with them had disappeared.

"Shelby took them to the bookstore for some souvenirs. They should be back shortly," Jesse answered.

"I see them now. We'll be in touch," Leroy said to Jesse before he and Hiram walked towards the rest of their group.

Jesse nodded and then took one last look at Rachel before he turned to walk away.

* * *

><p>"How was your tour?" Finn asked as Rachel walked in later that afternoon.<p>

"It was great. Jesse designed the tour so that we could see everything he thought was relevant to musical theater majors as well as anything else we wanted to see."

"Jesse?" Finn asked.

"Yes. Jesse. You know, Jesse St. James…"

"Your ex-boyfriend?" Finn exclaimed, already angry.

"Finn, _nothing_ happened. He was our _tour guide_. He gave us-me, my dads, Kurt, Blaine, my mom-a _tour_ of the campus! You had to know that there was always the possibility that he and I would run into each other here, possibly even have to work together!" Rachel shouted.

"I thought he was going back to USC, not staying in New York! If I had known that, you wouldn't have gone today."

"Okay, first of all, it was _UCLA_. Second of all, you can't control me, Finn. If I want to go to Tisch, the fact that Jesse goes there will have _nothing_ to do with my decision. It's _my_ decision. Not yours, not my dads', not my mom's, _mine_."

"Did you sing with him?" Finn demanded.

"Yes. I did. What of it?" Rachel answered defensively.

"Let me guess, it was a song from that stupid witch musical you and Kurt are so in love with."

"It's called _Wicked_ and it's not _stupid_! I don't even know why I agreed to marry you! We're clearly incompatible. Maybe I should just go stay with my dads, tell them they were right. We shouldn't be getting married," Rachel spat out before she turned on her heel and stormed into the bedroom, once again locking it behind her.

_Jesse wouldn't get angry at me, he'd understand that he was the one I chose to be with and that me signing with someone else doesn't mean I'm interested in them romantically. He always just understood. God, how I miss that. _

Suddenly feeling like she was going to cry, Rachel made her way to the bed, where she laid down and clutched a pillow to her chest before letting the tears fall.

* * *

><p>"Another rough night?" Kurt asked the next morning as he saw Rachel once again looking as frustrated as ever.<p>

"I don't want to talk about it," Rachel answered.

"Blaine and I bought you coffee this morning," Kurt said, offering the coffee cup to Rachel.

"Oh, thank God," Rachel said as she took the cup from her best friend.

"So where are we going today?" Blaine asked from the other side of Kurt.

"NYADA," Rachel answered, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Okay, drama queen, spill," Kurt insisted.

"I don't want to talk about it," Rachel repeated.

"Kurt, just leave her alone. If she wants to talk about it, she knows we're always here for her," Blaine put in.

"Thank you, Blaine," Rachel said with a small smile

Kurt hugged Rachel and then said, "Blaine's right. We're very good listeners."

Rachel laughed a little, "Nice try, Kurt."

"I see your parents," Blaine said before either of the other two occupants of the bench could say anything else.

* * *

><p>The pattern of Rachel enjoying her tours, and then fighting with Finn about them when she got back to the apartment continued the rest of the week. She'd given up certain parts of her routine so that she wouldn't have to listen to Finn whine about being banned from the bathroom. By the time Friday afternoon rolled around, Rachel had reached her wit's end.<p>

"That's it!" she nearly screamed at Finn, "I'm leaving! This engagement is _off!_ I don't want to deal with you anymore! I'm tired of not being able to be myself, of having to try so hard to perfect for you!"

"Don't leave, Rachel. We can work this out. We love each other. We can get through anything," Finn said, trying to soothe Rachel enough so she'd stay.

Rachel tugged her engagement ring off of her finger and threw it at him, "No! I'm done, Finn. This obviously isn't working. You could have toured schools while were here, too. So you didn't get a scholarship to OSU like you wanted. Big deal! There are other schools out there. Did you honestly think I'd give up on my dream the way you gave up on yours?"

"I thought we could go to OSU together."

Rachel threw her hands up into the air, "You don't get it do you Finn? I will _never_ give up New York. I will _never_ give up on Broadway! Those are my dreams! I've been working towards them since I was little. I said _one year_, Finn. You couldn't even give me that before you decided that we should get married. We can't even live together for a few _days_, let alone _years._ You obviously don't belong in New York. You might be able to _just get by_ in Ohio, but not in New York. I'm going to go stay with my dads; I don't want to see you until I have to at school on Monday. I'll be taking a different flight home."

Before Finn could say anything else, Rachel slammed the door behind her and made her way to the hotel that her dads were staying at.

* * *

><p>By the time she reached the door of her fathers' hotel room, Rachel was close to tears. When Hiram opened the door and immediately pulled her into his arms, she let them fall. She told her dads everything that had happened with Finn, and about her thoughts about Jesse.<p>

"Sweetheart, I want to ask you something and I need you to take a minute before you answer," Leroy said once she had calmed down

Rachel nodded, looking at her Dad curiously.

"Why do you think you've been comparing your relationship with Finn to the one with Jesse?"

Rachel thought about her answer, just as her Dad had requested.  
>"Being with Finn felt safe. I knew that I'd get to see him whenever I wanted, I wouldn't have to worry about distance anymore. I pursued him even when he was with Quinn because I thought he could be my soul mate. He was everything I thought I wanted to be-popular, well-liked…not bullied. It was…difficult for me to just give up on all of that. I don't really know why. I think maybe it was because I had pursued him for so long that I felt like I needed to see where it would go if we were actually able to be together. When Jesse came along, it was like something just <em>clicked<em>. He's basically the male version of me; he always seemed to just _understand_. If he thought I was being crazy, or thinking about something too much, he'd just give me this_ look_. He understood why I was acting the way that I was, but he knew how to calm the crazy, and not in a negative way. Jesse and I could always just exchange a look and it was like he could read my mind. Sometimes he'd smile at me, sometimes he'd smirk at me, sometimes he'd even laugh at me. It was nice to have someone like that around. When he left, I was devastated. Finn helped to pick up the pieces, but something was always missing," Rachel answered finally.

"What about when Jesse came back last year?" Hiram asked.

"I was shocked to see him; I thought he wanted nothing to do with me. We sang together, of course, and then we talked for a while. He apologized for everything bad that happened last year and asked me to prom. I was having so much fun; we were dancing and laughing, just like we had before. Then Finn ruined it. He made like Jesse seem like the bad guy when he was just trying to help. When he saw Jesse and I kiss on stage one afternoon, it was like he went crazy. He was like obsessed with me. At first I thought it was flattering, but now I think it was just creepy. He didn't do as I asked just so he could one up Jesse. He cost us Nationals by kissing me. It was like he knew Jesse would be in the audience, and he wanted to…I don't know…mark his territory or something."

"That isn't how I remember you seeing it just a few weeks ago," Leroy said

"I know, but it's how I feel now. I don't want to marry Finn. I don't even want to _be_ with Finn. I'm afraid if I let Jesse back into my life, I'll just fall for him all over again, as fast as I did the last two times."

"Would that be so bad?" Hiram asked.

"Having Jesse in my life? Or falling in love with him again?"

"Both."

Rachel leaned further into his embrace as she thought about her answer.

"I don't know. What if he already has a girlfriend? What if he moved on? I'd feel like a pathetic fool."

"What if he doesn't? What if he hasn't moved on?" Leroy countered.

"I just ended my engagement with Finn. I'm not ready for a relationship again, I know that. Now that I've seen and spent time with Jesse again though, I don't want to _not_ let him back into my life, if he wants a place in it. I don't think I can be just friends with Jesse. He makes me feel things too intensely for that," Rachel answered with a sigh.

"Why don't you take a couple of days to think about it? Jesse gave us his contact information in case we had any more questions about Tisch, or New York in general. If you want to get in touch with him, just let us know," Hiram suggested.

"Where is Mom staying?" Rachel asked.

"Just down the hall. I'm sure she'd be happy to see you if you want a female opinion on all of this. Plus, she knows Jesse better than your Dad and I do. Maybe she could help," Hiram suggested.

"I know you and Dad have dinner plans, Daddy. You two go ahead, I don't want to spoil your night too," Rachel said as she stood up.

"Just call us if you need anything. I'll leave you my credit card in case you want to order something to the room. Here's a key to the room, so if we aren't here when you get back, you can just let yourself in," Hiram said as he handed Rachel a room key.

"Thank you. I'll see you later. Have fun at dinner," Rachel said before she quickly made her way down the hall to her mother's room.

* * *

><p>Shelby had just stepped back into the living room of the suite she was staying in when she heard a knock at the door. When she opened it to reveal her daughter, her surprise was evident on her face.<p>

"Rachel?"

"Can I come in?"

Shelby nodded, opening the door wider so that Rachel could walk into the room. Closing the door behind her, Shelby walked over to the couch Rachel was currently sitting on and took the seat beside her.

"What's going on? I thought you and Finn had plans tonight," Shelby wondered.

"We got into a fight. I ended the engagement, and the relationship. This week has made me realize that Finn and I aren't as good of a match as I thought we were," Rachel answered.

"I was wondering when you would come to your senses."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't mean anything bad. I'm sure you and Finn cared for one another, but you can't deny that what you felt for Finn pales in comparison to what you feel for Jesse."

"Am I that obvious?" Rachel wondered.

Shelby laughed a little and then said, "Just to those who know you best. I've known Jesse for a long time, Rachel, so I know that he's _never_ felt such a draw to someone else before. When you two are together, your whole face lights up. That sweet, caring side of Jesse that you see is one I hadn't seen for myself until I saw him with you. The day that the egging happened, he was _devastated_. He'll never admit it, but I could tell. He was upset, that was obvious. I'd never heard him tear apart his teammates the way he did when they got back to Carmel. He even tore into me. I deserved it. It made me realize that I'd made a mistake in basically sending you away. I'll forever be grateful for him for making me see that what I did was wrong, that just because things didn't go exactly how I had expected them to didn't mean that they wouldn't work."

"What did he do exactly?" Rachel asked, genuinely curious.

"He literally _yelled_ at them. He was beyond mad. He told them that if they all hadn't been such soulless automatons they would have been able to see that what they were doing was wrong. It wasn't just some harmless prank to psych out the competition; it was messing with an actual _person_. A person with feelings who never deserved any of the mean things they did to her. He told them that he would help win the fourth consecutive National title, but he never wanted to see or speak to any of them again. The next few weeks were brutal. Jesse put everything he had into his performances and if any of his teammates so much as _tried_ to slack off or not to their part, he'd make them do twice as much work."

"Wow," Rachel managed after letting Shelby's words sink in, "I didn't know he did all of that. He only told me that he never let his teammates forget what they did to me."

"He isn't exactly proud of that time in his life. He would have given up that title for you, Rachel. If I had given him a choice, he would have stayed at McKinley with you."

"I know," Rachel said softly, "When he came back last year, he told me that I was more important to him than fame."

Shelby took Rachel's chin in her hand, turning her head so she could look her daughter in the eyes.

"You are _the most important_ thing to him, my darling daughter. He's been waiting for you. Not patiently, but he has."

Rachel suddenly felt like she wanted to cry again. Getting confirmation from someone who had known Jesse for a long time that he felt just as intensely about her as she did about him was something she had only dreamed about. Shelby removed her hand from Rachel's chin and pulled her daughter into her arms before she spoke again.

"If you and Jesse decide that you want to give your relationship another chance, I promise I won't stand in the way this time. If I could choose someone for you, Rachel, I'd choose him."

"He tried to convince me to transfer to Carmel." Rachel said suddenly.

"He did?" Shelby asked, surprised.

Rachel nodded and then said, "I know being at McKinley isn't what he wanted for his senior year. The fine arts program there is clearly inferior to the one at Carmel. When he came back, after spring break in California with Vocal Adrenaline, I was going to tell him that I was willing to transfer. I never got the chance to."

"If I had been more patient, maybe you would have. I was the one who pressured him to ask you about finding me. I'm sorry, Rachel."

"I forgive you."

"Look, I'm supposed to meet Jesse in about an hour, why don't you go in my place? I'm sure he'd much rather see you than me."

"I just broke my engagement. Would it really be good to go out with Jesse just a few hours later?"

"That's up to you to decide. He's always asked about you, and I have no idea what happened when you two were singing, but it's only made him more adamant about getting updates on you."

"Updates on me?"

"He worries about you, Rachel. It's part of being in love, part of caring about someone. As long as you're happy, he's happy. It's really that simple."

* * *

><p>An hour later, Rachel found herself outside of the restaurant her mother had said to go to. Once inside, she immediately spotted Jesse. He was looking down at his phone so he didn't notice her until she slid into the seat across from him.<p>

"Hi," Rachel said softly.

Jesse lifted his head quickly, a smile spreading across his face as he saw her sitting across from him.

"Hi," He responded, in the same soft tone that Rachel had used.

"My mom told me how you tore into your teammates two years ago," Rachel confessed as she slid off her coat.

"They deserved it," Jesse answered, unsure if he should be defending his actions or not.

Rachel reached across the table for Jesse's hand before she spoke again.

"Thank you. No one has ever defended me like that before. I could tell that you seemed upset, that you hadn't really wanted things to go the way that they did, but I had no idea that you were _that_ upset."

Jesse laced his fingers with Rachel's as he spoke, "You became my world, Rach. I would have given up everything for you. To have you ripped away from me like that, I was beyond pissed. I'm surprised Shelby didn't kick me out after some of the things I said to her."

"She told me that she'll be forever grateful to you for opening her eyes and making her see that just because something didn't go exactly the way she'd hoped doesn't necessarily mean that it's bad."

"As happy as I am to see you, I am curious why you're here and not Shelby."

Rachel smiled a little and then said, "She told me that she was sure you'd much rather see me rather than her. Besides, I wanted to talk to you."

"Talk to me about what?"

"First of all, I have a confession of my own to make."

"What's that?"

"The day that you came back, when you kept asking me about my mom, I was trying to find a way to tell you that I would transfer to Carmel, if that's where you wanted to spend the rest of your senior year."

Jesse was silent as he took in Rachel's words.

"Jesse?" Rachel asked when he still hadn't said anything a few minutes later.

"I…honestly don't know what to say to that, Rach. I wish I had known, wish I hadn't kept pressuring you. So many things," Jesse said as he squeezed Rachel's hands.

"I know. We can't change the past, only the future," Rachel assured him.

"What do you mean?"

"As I'm sure you're aware, I'm not wearing my ring, and if I were still with Finn, I wouldn't be here right now. I broke off the engagement this afternoon. I had long talks with both of my dads, and a shorter yet somehow oddly more revealing one with my mom. I can't be just friends with you, Jess. I usually don't condone jumping from one relationship to the next, but I'm afraid if I wait any longer, I may lose my chance,"

"Never, Rach. You're the only one for me. I can show you the epic romance that I promised you, but you need to let me."

"Do you think you could love me again?" Rachel asked so softly Jesse almost didn't hear her.

"What do you mean_ again?_ I never _stopped_ loving you," Jesse answered.

"I never stopped either," Rachel confessed.

"I won't lie; I do want to be with you, Rach, but what happens when you go back to Lima? I can't just quit school and follow you back there until you're ready to come back to New York."

"I don't leave until Sunday, so we have a few days to spend time together here. Maybe you could visit me over your spring break? Then I could visit you during mine? I'm coming back here after graduation. I don't want to stay in Lima any longer than I have to. Conquering the distance problem can only be considered epic romance, right?"

Jesse grinned at her and then said, "I like the way you think. We'll figure it out. Once you are ready to come back to New York, you won't have to worry about a place to live, you can just move in with me."

Rachel grinned back at Jesse before she said, "Sounds perfect."

* * *

><p>The next morning when she met Kurt and Blaine outside of the apartment building, Rachel's mood was drastically different than the previous days. All three of her parents couldn't help but smile as she gushed about the plans that she and Jesse had made the previous night. Jesse had even invited them all over after their tour of Julliard so that they could see the apartment.<p>

"Well someone's in a good mood this morning," Kurt observed.

Rachel hugged Kurt tightly and then said, "Because I'm _happy_ this morning. Jesse and I are back together, life is good."

"Didn't you and Finn just end your engagement less than 24 hours ago?" Kurt asked.

"Don't be a spoilsport, just let her be happy. It's infectious," Blaine said with a grin.

Kurt looked at his best friend, who was clearly happier than she had been in a long time. She was also wearing clothes he hadn't seen before.

"I see your old fashion sense is making a comeback," He teased, twirling her.

Rachel laughed and then said, "Jesse bought them for me. There was this cute little boutique next to the restaurant we ate at last night. He asked me if I wanted to go look around and told me to let him know if there was anything that I wanted. I found this outfit and he bought it for me."

"He's spoiling her already," Hiram said as the group made their way towards the subway.

"Yes, but she's happier than she's been in far too long," Leroy put in from beside his husband.

* * *

><p>Later that afternoon, they all made their way over to Jesse's apartment. Rachel had wanted Kurt and Blaine's opinions on it too, so she had convinced them to come along, insisting that Jesse wouldn't mind.<p>

"Is he giving you your own bathroom?" Kurt teased.

"I don't know. Jesse understands my routine, though. He just understands _me_." Rachel said as she slid her arms through one of Kurt's and one of Blaine's.

"Come on, I think that's Jesse waiting for us," Blaine said with a grin.

Upon recognizing her boyfriend, Rachel quickly made her way towards him.

"You didn't have to wait outside," Rachel said as she hugged him.

Jesse hugged her back and then bent his head to kiss her quickly before he said, "I just got here. I heard Kurt's voice, then yours, so I figured I might as well just wait here. It's not like it's raining or anything."

"Hello, Jesse," Leroy greeted as the rest of the group caught up with them.

"Mr. Berry," Jesse returned, shaking his hand.

"Leroy is fine. This place looks awfully expensive."

"Nothing I can't afford," Jesse answered with a shrug as he led the group inside.

"Which floor do you live on?" Hiram asked.

"Top floor. It's one of two penthouses up there. The other one is rented by a group of other Tisch students."

"Coincidence or is this one of those student only apartments?" Leroy asked.

"Coincidence. It's mostly Tisch students, since it's so close to campus, but not all,"

"Wow," Blaine and Kurt said in unison as they stepped onto the floor Jesse lived on.

"Just wait until you see the inside," Rachel gushed, her hand firmly encased in Jesse's.

"Do you two have any idea where you want to live next year?" Jesse asked Kurt and Blaine as he unlocked the door.

"Probably on campus in a tiny little dorm room," Kurt said with a sigh.

Jesse nodded as he pushed open the door, "Go ahead and look around."

Rachel watched as her parents and her best friends looked around the apartment. Jesse had shown it to her last night before he took her back to the hotel so she was enjoying everyone's reactions. She wasn't aware that she and Jesse were also being watched.

Shelby couldn't help but smile as she watched Rachel and Jesse together. They were talking quietly to each other, both smiling more than she'd seen either do in far too long. When she heard Rachel's squeal of delight, and saw her jump into Jesse's arms, her smile grew. Curious as to what would have caused such a reaction, she quickly made her way over to the pair.

"What's going on?" Shelby asked.

"I need to go find Kurt and Blaine! I have to tell them the good news!" Rachel exclaimed, practically running across the large apartment.

"Care to fill me in?" Shelby asked her former student.

"Rachel was saying how she felt bad for Kurt and Blaine because while they could be roommates next year, it would either be a tiny apartment far away from school or a tiny little dorm on campus she would be living here. I told her that if they wanted to, and if she didn't mind sharing both a bedroom and a bathroom with me, they could move in here," Jesse answered.

"I thought you didn't want any roommates other than Rachel."

"I still get Rachel. If it makes her happy, then I'm all for it. They're Rachel's best friends."

Shelby nodded and smiled knowingly.

* * *

><p>"Guess what?" Rachel exclaimed as she found Kurt and Blaine in the guest bedroom.<p>

"Did Jesse put extra caffeine in your coffee this morning?" Kurt asked teasingly.

"Jesse said you and Blaine could live here with us!" Rachel exclaimed excitedly, seeming to ignore Kurt's teasing question.

"Seriously?" Blaine asked, the first to recover.

"Yes! It'll be so great!" Rachel answered with a grin.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Kurt said, returning his best friend's infections smile.

Rachel hugged them both tightly before she took off once again, this time to find her fathers. She found them talking to Jesse and Shelby in the living room.

"So, what do you think?" She asked as she approached them.

"It's a very nice place. We are concerned about what happens if you're here by yourself, though," Leroy answered.

"It's a secured building, Dad. I'll be fine. Plus, Kurt and Blaine are moving in too, so that's two more people who would be here with me," Rachel said

"Have you asked Jesse about this?" Hiram asked his daughter.

"I offered, actually. I know how much Kurt and Blaine mean to Rachel and that she means a lot to them, too. She told me how close they've become over the last year," Jesse put in, moving to stand beside Rachel.

"I guess it's decided then," Leroy said with a shrug.

* * *

><p><em><strong>A Few Months Later...<strong>_

"Rachel?" Jesse called as he walked into the penthouse apartment he shared with his girlfriend and her best friends.

When he didn't get an answer, he quickly made his way upstairs to the bedroom he shared with Rachel. He opened the door to find her asleep on the bed, her head on one of his pillows and the other clutched tightly in her arms. Smiling at the adorable picture she made, he shut the door softly behind himself and made his way over to the bed. When he tried to tug the pillow away from her, Rachel responded by clutching it even tighter than she had before.

"Rach," Jesse said softly, "Baby, wake up."

At the sound of his voice, Rachel opened her eyes, blinking a couple of times to bring him into focus.

"Jess?" She asked sleepily.

"Yeah, it's me. Are you okay?" Jesse answered, crouching beside the bed.

"I was so anxious about today that I hardly slept last night. I tried to stay awake, I'm sorry."

Jesse chuckled, brushing a piece of hair away from Rachel's eyes, "You had nothing to be anxious about. I'm sure everyone loved you. Why didn't you tell me this last night?"

"I didn't want to bother you. I knew you had to be up early," Rachel answered.

"You _never_ bother me, Rach. I love you. You know I'm always going to listen, that I won't judge you."

Rachel smiled a little and then said, "I'm still getting used to that. I love you. So much."

"I know. I can hear your stomach growling, so I'm going to guess you haven't had much to eat today either."

Rachel nodded, blushing a little when her stomach emitted a rather loud growl. Jesse simply chuckled and then stood, pulling her up and off of the bed.

"Do you want to go out somewhere or order take out?" Jesse asked as he led Rachel downstairs.

"Take out. I don't want to go anywhere. Kurt and Blaine are doing date night, so we have the place to ourselves," Rachel answered.

* * *

><p>Later that night, as she was doing her nightly routine, Rachel heard a knock on the door. She knew Jesse wouldn't interrupt her unless he thought it was so important that it couldn't wait, so she was curious as to what was going on. Opening the door, she saw Jesse standing on the other side of it, with one of his hands behind his back.<p>

"I have something for you," He said before she could say anything.

"It couldn't wait?" Rachel asked curiously.

"It probably could, but what would be the fun in that?"

"Okay, I'll bite. What do you have for me?"

Jesse pulled his hand out from behind his back and presented her with a single red rose with a note attached.

"You can't read the note until after you close the door."

Rachel eyed her boyfriend skeptically before she smiled and took the rose from him, putting it close to her nose so she could smell it.

"Well, thank you. I love it. I love you," She said a few moments later.

Jesse kissed her quickly before he said, "I love you, too. Enjoy your rose."

Rachel smiled and nodded before she watched Jesse walk away and then closed the door to the bathroom. Remembering the card attached to the rose, Rachel quickly opened it. She immediately recognized Jesse's handwriting and the opening lines of their song-the ones that he had sung to her the day in the music store. She hummed the song to herself as she finished her routine, able to imagine Jesse's voice singing it as he had so many times before. Once she'd finished, she quickly made her way to the bedroom, hoping that Jesse would be waiting for her. When she walked into the room, she saw that Jesse had turned off the lights and lit candles throughout the room. A playlist of the songs they considered to be theirs was playing softly in the background. Jesse was waiting for her, just as she'd hoped.

"Jesse? What is all of this?" Rachel asked.

Jesse walked over to his girlfriend and took her hands in his, lacing her fingers with his just as they had the night they'd gotten back together.

"You know that you're my world, that you're the most important thing in my life, I will always, _always_, put you first and, most importantly, that I love you."

"Jesse, you're scaring me, what's going on?" Rachel asked again.

"I don't mean to scare you, and I hope that I'm not asking for too much too soon, but we're both adults now, and we've connected in a way that I've only ever dreamed of before. We're soul mates, Rach. You know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and we've talked about marriage. I know that you want to wait until you're finished with school to get married, and I'm perfectly fine with a long engagement. It'll give us plenty of time to plan the big Jewish wedding I know you want," Jesse continued.

"Soul mates…engagement…marriage…" Rachel repeated, unable to say much else.

"Exactly," Jesse said with a smile, releasing one of her hands to take something out of his pocket.

"Jesse…" Rachel said, realizing that Jesse was currently holding what could only be described as _her_ ring.

"I know, without a doubt, that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you, Rachel, will you marry me?"

Rachel felt tears pool in her eyes. Of course Jesse would go all out for a proposal-it was so _Jesse_. So _them_. They were both had very over-the-top, dramatic personalities, yet they somehow made it work. She was suddenly aware that while she had gotten lost in her thoughts, she had yet to answer Jesse's question.

"Yes," Rachel said softly.

"Yes?" Jesse repeated, wanting to make sure he heard her correctly.

"Yes, you wonderful, dramatic man. I love you so much. Of course I'll marry you."

Jesse grinned at her before he slid the ring into her finger and pulled her into his arms for a kiss.


End file.
